


I'm Not Good At This

by nobetterlove



Series: Stucky Tumblr Drabbles [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Pre-Slash, Rescue Missions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:54:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24358387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nobetterlove/pseuds/nobetterlove
Summary: Steve rescues Bucky from Hydra's base & they reunite just in time to step back into the direct line of danger.Or - Steve realizes Bucky is way more important than he initially thought.Tumblr Prompt: "I'm not good at this, I never have been"
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: Stucky Tumblr Drabbles [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1758667
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	I'm Not Good At This

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! 
> 
> I'm starting to get the ball rolling with a couple other ships in the MCU - so here's my first little Stucky drabble. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

At first, the mission revolved around recovering all of the captives from the 107th. If things were different before Bucky got shipped off, or maybe if they’d gotten shipped off together – he might be there with all of those guys, stuck in a cell, hoping that someone would find a way to come in and save him. Since the change, serving his country came at the cost of becoming a dancing monkey – at least in this he could use the serum’s gifts for something that actually mattered.

The adrenaline of actually winning a fight for once kept Steve moving, his instincts finding him exactly where he needed to be – the proclaimed dead of the 107th stuffed to the gills in a couple holding cells. It’s triumphant, getting all of the guys out and planning with them on how to escape. In all honesty, it’s the best time Steve could remember having since joining the army – strategy was his thing, thinking ahead and being smart, the Steve Roger’s way. He let himself focus on the exit strategy before even thinking about Bucky.

The mixture of relief and dismay almost knocked him on his ass when he eventually found Bucky strapped to a table – the man weak, a little disoriented, and totally done in. It was obvious by the things around him that Bucky was some sort of test subject, Steve’s personal experience with it making the signs recognizable.

He pushed that thought away and focused on getting Bucky out of Hydra’s grasp without any more needless deaths. The way Bucky clung to them as they hobbled and fought their way out did something – Steve unsure as to what the feeling actually was. There were other things that needed to be dealt with – people to save.

Things didn’t calm down for Steve for another couple of days – his self-proclaimed need for punishment and the aftereffects of bringing back more than 20 men that were up until that point, proclaimed dead. Between dancing the line with Colonel Phillips and getting new orders, Steve didn’t get a chance to catch up to Bucky until a full week after returning to the army compound – the man already looking much better than the last time he saw him.

Bright blue eyes watched him approach, Bucky sitting up a bit in the camp bed, his teeth gritting ever so slightly. A part of Steve wanted to rush over to help, to wrap his arm tightly around him like he did the night he brought Bucky home – but would it be welcomed? There wasn’t much time between the last time they’d seen each other, and yet, it felt like there were years between them all the same.

Steve’s physical change brought with it so many other changes, too – though, he hoped more than anything that his connection with Bucky didn’t have to be one of them. There was recognition in Bucky’s eyes, so he tucked that into his pocket and kept the faith – they’d been friends since birth, if it took a little while to warm things back up, well, he’d be there for it.

The raging feeling of grief that overwhelmed him when he was given the initial news about Bucky just about brought him to his knees. If it weren’t for Peggy standing there, he would have – Colonel Phillips be damned.

The more selfish reason for his excursion into Hydra territory came in the form of dark hair and ocean blue eyes, the years of friendship too hard to give up without an attempt, without at least keeping a little bit of the faith.

Standing before him now, Steve had no idea what to say – there were so many things, so many emotions that wanted to hop out of him and make themselves known. The first being – “It’s good to see you, Buck,” Steve said, breaking the silence between them. He took a couple steps closer to the bed, his eyes watching the dark-haired man carefully.

“I still can’t believe this is you now,” Bucky replied, his back now leaning fully against the backboard, legs stretched out in front of him. Aside from the yellowy-purple bruise surrounding his eye, Bucky looked like his usual self, the chipper grin the only thing missing.

A soft huff left Steve’s lips at that, his shoulders shrugging lightly – “It’s still a shock to me sometimes, too.” He fiddled with the gloves he pulled off when he walked into the room, his limbs now desperate for any kind of movement, any sort of distraction.

Bucky laughed at that – it probably didn’t surprise him that though he was strong, Steve’s thought process hadn’t changed – especially when it came to himself. “You seem to pull it off well. The suit, especially,” Bucky joked, his cheeks changing color below the purple contusion, the red a nice shade on him.

Still unable to resist the pull of the other man, Steve took the seat next to Bucky’s bed, the shade of red on his face a little deeper from this angel – his memory of the many times he’d seen this look on Bucky’s face slamming back, the feelings it always brought with it joining, too.

“Glad you feel that way, pal. You’ll be seeing me in a lot more. I’m putting together a team and I want you on it. I just – you need to promise me one thing, okay?” Steve asked, his tone serious, his traitorous hand moving until his fingers could fiddle with the blanket right by Bucky’s hand, the barely there feeling of the other’s skin just enough.

He saw Bucky fidget, the other brushing his finger against Steve’s for a second, this touch so fleeting, it was almost like it wasn’t there. “Sure, anything – you know I’ve got your back until the end of the line,” Bucky pronounced, not a single bit of hesitancy in his words.

“Don’t go getting yourself killed. I’m not good at this, I never have been. But – I need you to know you being safe is a priority for me. After seeing you like that – I can’t lose you again.” Steve’s words were resolute, the look he shot Bucky brokering no argument.

Regardless of the fact that neither of them could promise such a thing, the other man nodded – his fingers finally wrapping around Steve’s hand, this touch more of a promise than anything else, the caress seemingly permanent, not fleeting in nature at all. Not when Bucky’s warmth felt so flawless with his own.

More than anything, Steve wanted to lean forward, seal their lips together – welcome Bucky back home the way he’d been craving for a long time now. Instead, of squeezed back, neither in any hurry to pull away.

“Okay, Stevie. You got yourself a promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for sticking around! 
> 
> I'll be posting all of my random Stuck writings in this series & if you're interested in seeing them first hand, head over to ohsowereusingourmadeupnames on tumblr! 
> 
> Drop any ideas or comments below! 
> 
> Y'all are the best <3


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